


they sicken of the calm (who know the storm)

by kayteedancer



Series: November Challenge 2020 [17]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Aftermath, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Darcy Lewis-centric, Don't copy to another site, F/M, Gen, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, past Darcy Lewis/Steve Rogers, sword - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:29:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27623408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kayteedancer/pseuds/kayteedancer
Summary: Darcy felt panic crawl up her throat as her feet came unstuck from the floor. She turned and sprinted for the entrance, vaulting the barrier as she made it up to the street.It was chaos. Absolutechaos. Darcy’s eyes widened in horror as her breath hitched at the scene above: cars careened without drivers and took out the bystanders that were left, some slamming at full speed into nearby buildings; people were screaming and crying and looking frantically for their loved ones, fingers scrabbling at the dust piled where they used to be. Frantically searching for her phone, Darcy started immediately calling her presets, dread hollowing out her stomach as one after the other after the other rang out without connection.Tears started blurring Darcy’s vision as she struggled to keep her breathing steady. “No, no, no,” Darcy whispered in a panicked litany as her final preset rang out without answer. “Oh god, no, please,” she choked as sobs started shaking her shoulders, pressing her phone to her forehead and clamping her eyes shut.
Relationships: Darcy Lewis/Steve Rogers (past), Jane Foster & Darcy Lewis
Series: November Challenge 2020 [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1996558
Kudos: 32





	they sicken of the calm (who know the storm)

**Author's Note:**

> Um...hi? I know this is being posted late, and I'm so sorry, but I actually managed to fall asleep without hitting post last night... So yay, double post today!
> 
> This is Day 17's installment, and we're once again in the MCU! This one centers on the direct aftermath of Thanos' snap in a slightly different world than the one we're used to. Namely, one where the MCU women are even more badass than shown! I'm excited to see what you all think about this different take on the MCU.
> 
> Today's installment was inspired by Prompt #1411 from @writers-are-writers on tumblr. I definitely changed parts of the prompt to make it fit in with the story I was trying to create, but I think I stayed true to the main message. Check them out on tumblr if you're looking for a bunch of really interesting prompts!
> 
> I also want to give a huge shoutout to everyone who's been leaving me kudos and comments and bookmarking all my fics. I read and respond to every comment, and I can't tell you all how much it means to me to see how much you're enjoying my writing. Thank you so, so much. ❤️❤️
> 
> Please let me know what you think of this installment, and come say hi on my tumblr (@sleepeatdancedream)! I would love to talk about fandom, writing, or life in general. Or if that's not your speed, feel free to leave a prompt or twelve of your own there!
> 
> Without further ado, here's Day 17! Title is a quote by Dorothy Parker

Sometimes, Darcy really wished she knew how she kept ending up in the middle of bad things going down.

Need some science credits? Deal with a death robot in the middle of the New Mexico desert. Go to work for the spook agency that stole everything you owned? Find out they’re infested with a Nazi group. Take a year off before going back to school to do humanitarian work? End up inadvertently in the middle of an Avengers situation that led to a murder bot trying to take over the world!

Admittedly, after that one she had a few quiet years where the only bad things that happened to Darcy were what she saw on the news. After she had...after Jane had let her go as a research assistant, Darcy’s life slowed down quite a bit. She had finished her Bachelor’s degree, started her Master’s, and had cut out all of the superpowered influence in her life. 

If they didn’t want her, then Darcy wouldn’t stay. She would move on; she  _ had _ to. And her life would hopefully be much safer for it.

But all of that brought her to today: Darcy was going to her final meeting with her Master’s thesis advisor when people started  _ disappearing all around her. _ One moment, Darcy was on a subway platform absolutely crawling with people. The next, easily half the people had vanished and dust hung thickly in the air.

Darcy froze as the other people left on the platform started panicking and screaming, flinching back from the edge of the platform as the subway car barreled through without slowing down.

Darcy felt panic crawl up her throat as her feet came unstuck from the floor. She turned and sprinted for the entrance, vaulting the barrier as she made it up to the street.

It was chaos. Absolute  _ chaos _ . Darcy’s eyes widened in horror as her breath hitched at the scene above: cars careened without drivers and took out the bystanders that were left, some slamming at full speed into nearby buildings; people were screaming and crying and looking frantically for their loved ones, fingers scrabbling at the dust piled where they used to be. Frantically searching for her phone, Darcy started immediately calling her presets, dread hollowing out her stomach as one after the other after the other rang out without connection.

Tears started blurring Darcy’s vision as she struggled to keep her breathing steady. “No, no, no,” Darcy whispered in a panicked litany as her final preset rang out without answer. “Oh god, no, please,” she choked as sobs started shaking her shoulders, pressing her phone to her forehead and clamping her eyes shut.

Darcy took a few long moments to steel herself; she knew who she had to call, but she was absolutely dreading it. But with the world gone absolutely batshit insane, she didn’t really have much of a choice. She was just going to have to deal with the awkwardness.

Fingers trembling, Darcy dialled a number that she wished she had never needed to call again. 

“Darcy? Oh my god, are you okay? Please tell me this is you and you’re not dusted,” Darcy heard the panicked and devastated voice of Steve Rogers filter through her cell phone speakers and felt the tears she had been forcing back trickle down her cheeks.

“Steve, what the hell is happening? Why- what is going on?” Darcy blurted, staring out over the devastation taking over New York City.

“Darcy, I-,” Steve started before choking back what sounds like a sob. “We-we lost. We  _ lost _ to Thanos and the world is paying the price and I...I don’t know what to do.”

Darcy dropped her head into her hands and lost the battle against her emotions. “Steve, I...I don’t know what to do. No - no one is answering and everything is  _ awful _ and I  _ don’t know what to do _ . Should I...what should I do?”

“Darcy, I’m really sorry but I can’t…I can’t  _ deal  _ with this right now. I’m in-in-I’m not in the US right now and I have to see who is  _ left _ ,” Steve rushed out and Darcy went cold.

“I-I- Seriously?” Darcy blew up, incandescent rage and pain filling her up. “I know we...we didn’t end the best, I know you’re  _ busy trying to save the world _ , but can you please just...just give me something.”

Steve’s heavy breathing rang over the line before the dial tone blared in Darcy’s ear and Darcy couldn’t help the scream that ripped out of throat.

Dropping to her knees in the middle of the devastated sidewalk, Darcy felt hopelessness swamp her. She was alone; Steve didn’t want to --  _ couldn’t _ help her right now. She was alone in this new reality and she...she didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know what she  _ could  _ do.

Suddenly, the shrill ringing of her cell phone broke her out of her panic. Scrambling to accept the call, Darcy pressed it to her ear as she yelped, “Steve?!”

“Darcy?” a feminine voice replied, and Darcy blinked in shock.

“J-Jane?” she breathed incredulously, and a woman’s sob came over the other line.

“Oh my God, Darcy, you’re alive. Thank god you’re alive,” Jane Foster, Darcy’s former boss and former friend, breathed and Darcy gripped her phone tighter.

“Jane, w-why are you calling me?” Darcy asked incredulously. “I thought...I thought you didn’t want to stay in touch. I thought…”   
  
“Darcy, I...I’m sorry. I’m so sorry that I blew you off, but I need your help. I was trying to let you have a normal life, but…” Jane sighed, and Darcy startled.

“What do you mean, Jane? The world has  _ gone to shit _ and I can’t  _ deal _ with you beating around the bush right now!” Darcy snapped.

“I’ve been part of a team, a team aimed at helping secure the Earth in the face of extraterrestrial threat. I had to stop talking to you to be part of this; believe me, I didn’t want to. But you wanted so badly to get your Master’s Degree that I couldn’t ask you to follow me again when I didn’t even know where I was going or really what I was doing,” Jane explained quickly. “But you’re right; we don’t have the time for this now. I’m part of what we’re calling SWORD, and we’ve known this -  _ Thanos _ \- has been coming for a long time now. And it’s time to bring you into the fold.”

“But...why?” Darcy asked, her mind whirling a mile a minute. “Why didn’t you  _ tell  _ me what had been going on? As much as you could, at least?”

“Because you had dealt with enough,” Jane answered softly, and Darcy smiled tremulously. “You had followed me from New Mexico, to Oslo, to London, and back again. You had put your dreams on hold for me and I didn’t want my problems burdening you anymore.”

Darcy choked back a sob as a tremulous smile spread across her lips. “I would have gone with you, Jane. I would have wanted to help.”

“I know you would have, Darce,” Jane replied. “But now you can. Now you  _ will _ .”

Darcy wiped a sleeve over her face roughly and took in a deep, shuddering breath. “Okay...okay. Just, tell me what I need to do.” 

“Welcome to SWORD, Darcy,” Jane’s voice stated soberly. “If you can get to Stark Tower, head there. Someone will meet you.”

Darcy nodded to herself and ended the call, breathing heavily as she looked up at the sky. The world was changing,  _ had changed _ , in a single moment, but Darcy couldn’t dwell on it. She had to look to the future.

Getting to her feet, Darcy began the long walk to Stark Tower. “SWORD...” she murmured as she shook her head. Shifting her eyes to the Tower in the distance, Darcy began the long walk back into the superpowered world.

Her life definitely couldn’t be called boring again.


End file.
